David Smith

David Smith is a barrister based in Sydney, specialising in equity, trusts, property, corporations, insolvency, and general commercial litigation. Called to the New South Wales Bar in 2018, David initially practiced as a litigation solicitor for a decade at leading law firms in Sydney, London, and Hong Kong.

David’s formal education includes a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from the University of Technology, Sydney. He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2008 and the High Court of Australia in 2009, before transitioning to the Bar in 2018. Throughout his career, he has represented clients in a variety of matters, ranging from complex equity and trust disputes to real property cases and multifaceted corporations litigation.

David has a record of handling large-scale disputes, showcasing his ability to manage intricate legal challenges and deliver favourable results. He has represented clients in all courts and tribunals in New South Wales, demonstrating a proficiency in dealing with a range of legal issues in different judicial settings.

David is focussed on engaging closely with solicitors and clients to achieve practical and commercial outcomes.

Tony Ross

Tony accepts briefs in all areas of law.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Tony served in the Australian Defence Force for 16 years, predominantly as an Army Officer. He is now in the active reserves.

In 2022, Tony was Tipstaff to the Hon. Justice M.J. Slattery AM AM (Mil) RAN of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (Equity Division).

Tony received his Juris Doctor from the Australian National University and his Bachelor of Business from the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

Tony has broad experience working in the Defence and National Security community. His writing on foreign interference has been published in the Federal Law Review.

Tony received the Christopher Gee QC Memorial Prize for Advocacy and Evidence for the May 2024 Bar Practice Course.

Alistair Oakes

Alistair was admitted to practice in 2013 and was called to the Bar in 2019. He has a broad practice, with a primary focus in the areas of commercial law, administrative & public law, equity, corporations, insolvency and regulatory law.

Alistair was previously a solicitor in the commercial litigation and banking teams at Allens, focussing on large-scale commercial litigation in the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Federal Court of Australia.

Alistair has also provided full-time service as a legal officer in the Royal Australian Navy, where he was awarded the Royal Australian Naval College prize for the best overall performer at initial officer training, was a legal adviser to the Commander of the Australian Fleet and lectured in administrative law, international law, operational law and military discipline. He remains an active member of the Naval Reserve.

Despite having only average athletic ability, Alistair has a keen interest in sports law. He is an ad hoc clerk for the Court of Arbitration for Sport and has been involved in a range of sports-related arbitrations, including the Essendon Football Club doping appeal and non-compliance proceedings between the Russian Anti-Doping Authority and the World Anti-Doping Authority. He is a member of the Sydney Hockey Association Judiciary and Investigation Committee.

Christopher Bevan

Chris Bevan is a member of Eight Wentworth Chambers, having joined the floor in 1998.

He came to the New South Wales Bar in 1991 and has been a member of the Victorian and Queensland Bars for over 20 years and is currently a member of Chancery Chambers in Melbourne. A detailed curriculum vitae for Chris is available on this website.

Chris practises primarily in the areas of legal costs (both costs litigation and assessment), taxation (Commonwealth and State), company law (including shareholder disputes), trust law (including the law relating to charities and not-for-profit companies) and insolvency law.

He has appeared in a number of complex appeals during the last 25 years, including as leading counsel on 12 occasions in special leave applications and on three occasions in appeals to the High Court, in addition to conducting many appeals in the Full Federal Court and Courts of Appeal in New South Wales and Victoria as leading counsel.

Chris is the author of texts on corporations law, insolvency law, capital gains tax and stamp duty and has chaired, or has been a member of, a number of eminent committees at the Tax Institute, Bar Association of New South Wales and Australian Bar Association over 30 years.

Having had 30 years’ experience as a senior advisor to the Inspector-General of Taxation and on boards of various companies, Chris brings to his work for clients this expertise in areas including taxation law and corporate governance.

He has a particular interest in advising and appearing for managers and owners of small and medium enterprises, an interest reflected in his membership as a senior advisor on a Panel of Legal Advisors of the Federal Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.

Chris has extensive experience in drafting and vetting legislation, with a particular interest in legislation in the areas of tax, corporate and costs law, as reflected in his work as a member of committees on the enactment of Commonwealth and State tax legislation and costs assessment and in reforms to the Corporations Law undertaken by the Federal Attorney-General’s Department under the Corporate Law and Economic Reform Program (CLERP).

He also has experience lecturing at the University of New South Wales on international tax and corporate taxation law within the ATAX postgraduate taxation teaching program and has given many seminars for the Tax Institute, Bar Association of New South Wales, Law Society of New South Wales and many continuing legal education seminar providers over the last 25 years.